Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENCIES AND OTHER Litigation, Claims and Assessments On June 22, 2011, a jury verdict for $6.5 million was returned against the Company in a wrongful death action brought by the Personal Representative of the Estate of Ronald Sites, a former inmate at the Company's Lawton Oklahoma Correctional Facility. On August 22, 2011, the court entered judgment against GEO in the amount of $8.4 million, which includes pre judgment interest on the amount of the verdict from January 26, 2007, the date of the filing of the lawsuit, through the date of the jury verdict. The lawsuit, Ronald L. Sites, as the administrator of the Estate of Ronald S. Sites, deceased v. The GEO Group, Inc. was filed on January 28, 2007 in the District Court of Comanche County, State of Oklahoma, Case No. CJ-2007-84. It was alleged that on January 29, 2005, Mr. Sites was harmed by his cellmate as a result of the Company's negligence. A supersedeas bond in the amount of $10.0 million was posted on August 29, 2011 by the insurance company of the State of Pennsylvania, one of the Company's insurers. Under its insurance plan, the Company is responsible for the first $3.0 million of liability which the Company would pay directly from general corporate funds. In April 2013, the case was settled. GEO's portion of the settlement was within the Company's reserves and the remainder was covered by the Company's insurance plan. This settlement did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated balance sheet or results of operations as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2013. In June 2004, the Company received notice of a third-party claim for property damage incurred during 2001 and 2002 at several detention facilities formerly operated by its Australian subsidiary. The claim relates to property damage caused by detainees at the detention facilities. The notice was given by the Australian government's insurance provider and did not specify the amount of damages being sought. In August 2007, a lawsuit (Commonwealth of Australia v. Australasian Correctional Services PTY, Limited No. SC 656) was filed against the Company in the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory seeking damages of up to approximately AUD 18 million or $18.8 million based on exchange rates as of March 31, 2013, plus interest. The pre-judgment interest rate in Australia is currently 7.00%. The Company believes that it has several defenses to the allegations underlying the litigation and the amounts sought and intends to vigorously defend its rights with respect to this matter. The Company has established a reserve based on its estimate of the most probable loss based on the facts and circumstances known to date and the advice of legal counsel in connection with this matter. The accrued reserve assumes a financial settlement of this litigation which would not require payment of pre-judgment interest. Although the outcome of this matter cannot be predicted with certainty, based on information known to date and the Company's preliminary review of the claim and related reserve for loss, the Company believes that, if settled unfavorably, this matter could have a material adverse effect on its future financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. The Company is uninsured for any damages or costs that it may incur as a result of this claim, including the expenses of defending the claim. The nature of the Company's business exposes it to various types of third-party legal claims or litigation against the Company, including, but not limited to, civil rights claims relating to conditions of confinement and/or mistreatment, sexual misconduct claims brought by prisoners or detainees, medical malpractice claims, product liability claims, intellectual property infringement claims, claims relating to employment matters (including, but not limited to, employment discrimination claims, union grievances and wage and hour claims), property loss claims, environmental claims, automobile liability claims, indemnification claims by its customers and other third parties, contractual claims and claims for personal injury or other damages resulting from contact with the Company's facilities, programs, electronic monitoring products, personnel or prisoners, including damages arising from a prisoner's escape or from a disturbance or riot at a facility. Except as otherwise disclosed above, the Company does not expect the outcome of any pending claims or legal proceedings to have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Construction Commitments The Company currently has contractual commitments for a number of projects using Company financing. The Company’s management estimates that the cost of these existing capital projects will range from $20.0 million to $25.0 million of which $8.0 million was spent through the first quarter of 2013. The Company estimates the remaining capital requirements related to these capital projects will range from $12.0 million to $17.0 million which will be spent through fiscal year 2013. Capital expenditures related to facility maintenance costs are expected to range between $30.0 million and $35.0 million for fiscal year 2013. Idle Facilities The Company is currently marketing approximately 6,000 vacant beds at seven of its idle facilities to potential customers. The carrying values of these idle facilities, which are included in Property and Equipment, Net and Assets Held for Sale in the consolidated balance sheets, totaled $238.7 million as of March 31, 2013, excluding equipment and other assets that can be easily transferred for use at other facilities. Other As a result of the REIT conversion as more fully discussed in Note 1 - Basis of Presentation, the Company reorganized its operations and moved non-real estate components into taxable REIT subsidiaries ("TRS's"). The TRS structure requires the provisions of services between affiliated companies which are conducted at arm's length subject to applicable tax law and promulgated tax regulations. The Company has, with the assistance of its tax advisors, undertaken substantial analysis to determine and document the appropriateness of the arm's length compensation used in compliance with such tax rules.

COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENCIES AND OTHER

Litigation, Claims and Assessments

On June 22, 2011, a jury verdict for $6.5 million was returned against the Company in a wrongful death action brought by the Personal Representative of the Estate of Ronald Sites, a former inmate at the Company's Lawton Oklahoma Correctional Facility. On August 22, 2011, the court entered judgment against GEO in the amount of $8.4 million, which includes pre judgment interest on the amount of the verdict from January 26, 2007, the date of the filing of the lawsuit, through the date of the jury verdict. The lawsuit, Ronald L. Sites, as the administrator of the Estate of Ronald S. Sites, deceased v. The GEO Group, Inc. was filed on January 28, 2007 in the District Court of Comanche County, State of Oklahoma, Case No. CJ-2007-84. It was alleged that on January 29, 2005, Mr. Sites was harmed by his cellmate as a result of the Company's negligence. A supersedeas bond in the amount of $10.0 million was posted on August 29, 2011 by the insurance company of the State of Pennsylvania, one of the Company's insurers. Under its insurance plan, the Company is responsible for the first $3.0 million of liability which the Company would pay directly from general corporate funds. In April 2013, the case was settled. GEO's portion of the settlement was within the Company's reserves and the remainder was covered by the Company's insurance plan. This settlement did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated balance sheet or results of operations as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2013.

In June 2004, the Company received notice of a third-party claim for property damage incurred during 2001 and 2002 at several detention facilities formerly operated by its Australian subsidiary. The claim relates to property damage caused by detainees at the detention facilities. The notice was given by the Australian government's insurance provider and did not specify the amount of damages being sought. In August 2007, a lawsuit (Commonwealth of Australia v. Australasian Correctional Services PTY, Limited No. SC 656) was filed against the Company in the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory seeking damages of up to approximately AUD 18 million or $18.8 million based on exchange rates as of March 31, 2013, plus interest. The pre-judgment interest rate in Australia is currently 7.00%. The Company believes that it has several defenses to the allegations underlying the litigation and the amounts sought and intends to vigorously defend its rights with respect to this matter. The Company has established a reserve based on its estimate of the most probable loss based on the facts and circumstances known to date and the advice of legal counsel in connection with this matter. The accrued reserve assumes a financial settlement of this litigation which would not require payment of pre-judgment interest. Although the outcome of this matter cannot be predicted with certainty, based on information known to date and the Company's preliminary review of the claim and related reserve for loss, the Company believes that, if settled unfavorably, this matter could have a material adverse effect on its future financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. The Company is uninsured for any damages or costs that it may incur as a result of this claim, including the expenses of defending the claim.

The nature of the Company's business exposes it to various types of third-party legal claims or litigation against the Company, including, but not limited to, civil rights claims relating to conditions of confinement and/or mistreatment, sexual misconduct claims brought by prisoners or detainees, medical malpractice claims, product liability claims, intellectual property infringement claims, claims relating to employment matters (including, but not limited to, employment discrimination claims, union grievances and wage and hour claims), property loss claims, environmental claims, automobile liability claims, indemnification claims by its customers and other third parties, contractual claims and claims for personal injury or other damages resulting from contact with the Company's facilities, programs, electronic monitoring products, personnel or prisoners, including damages arising from a prisoner's escape or from a disturbance or riot at a facility. Except as otherwise disclosed above, the Company does not expect the outcome of any pending claims or legal proceedings to have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Construction Commitments

The Company currently has contractual commitments for a number of projects using Company financing. The Company’s management estimates that the cost of these existing capital projects will range from $20.0 million to $25.0 million of which $8.0 million was spent through the first quarter of 2013. The Company estimates the remaining capital requirements related to these capital projects will range from $12.0 million to $17.0 million which will be spent through fiscal year 2013. Capital expenditures related to facility maintenance costs are expected to range between $30.0 million and $35.0 million for fiscal year 2013.

Idle Facilities

The Company is currently marketing approximately 6,000 vacant beds at seven of its idle facilities to potential customers. The carrying values of these idle facilities, which are included in Property and Equipment, Net and Assets Held for Sale in the consolidated balance sheets, totaled $238.7 million as of March 31, 2013, excluding equipment and other assets that can be easily transferred for use at other facilities.

Other

As a result of the REIT conversion as more fully discussed in Note 1 - Basis of Presentation, the Company reorganized its operations and moved non-real estate components into taxable REIT subsidiaries ("TRS's"). The TRS structure requires the provisions of services between affiliated companies which are conducted at arm's length subject to applicable tax law and promulgated tax regulations. The Company has, with the assistance of its tax advisors, undertaken substantial analysis to determine and document the appropriateness of the arm's length compensation used in compliance with such tax rules.